Research

Above is the official film poster of 'Vertigo', it is a typical example of Saul Bass' graphic work. It depicts a man and woman, that are both seen from behind from an abstract perspective. The woman is outlined underneath the male, which may indicate that she is inferior to him. This confirms the male as the central figure of the poster, as does the font because it is similarly black and towards his side, reinforcing the attention on him. Also, the font is asymmetric and not solid in shape, signifying the instablity that lies heavy in the character's conditions. Further on this, the letters are inconsistent, switching from bold to italic lines, this builds a conflict, which is parallel to the one the man and woman are in. The most visual point is that of the background, being red it has a connotation of anger and violence. This is only emphasised by the other black and white shades of either character, for they intensify the feeling of danger, whether or not he is helping or harming her.

Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, is a crime thriller that is perhaps best known for its use of stars. The film poster is most often created to attract its audience to the unique selling point of the film and what it primarily has to offer. In this case, it is the A-list actors that are the main attraction such as: John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis, to confirm this they have their names largely printed so viewers can see who is in the film. The title is in bold yellow font which sticks out easily so the audience is able to recognize the title immediately. The film poster's content is of Uma Thurman, another lead character, laying down with a cigarette in her hand and a gun at her side. This gives the viewer an idea of her character because she appears dangerous yet laid back. Her short black hair, black dress and black heels suggest something mysterious about her character. The props that are used in the poster, for example the gun, show that something significant will happen in the film concerning the weapon. The use of red near the background of the title suggests a clear threat within the film that can be used to attract the audience in to thinking something frightening will happen. Also, the fact that Uma Therman is at the focal point of the picture connotes her importance in the narrative but also her significance in attracting a audience of more than one genre to the film.

Pictured above is the poster from the film entitled 'Panic Room' which was directed by David Fincher. Most noticeably, the black background suggests a theme of mystery or secrecy to the film, as it appears that the dark is closing in on the character (Jodie Foster). The font of the title is in a large format and is made to stand out so that the audience can become familiarized with the name and thus remember it. By use of the word 'panic' it is a good way to indicate the content of the film, for it is to be based on fear and anxiety. As a well known actor, Jodie Foster’s name is printed at the top of the poster, this is so the audience know which characters are in the film. Having an A-list actor gives the film positive publicity from her previous successes such as 'Silence Of The Lambs as well as identifying the typical role that she is known for playing. The male figure in the background is out of focus compared to Foster and the audience can see this as a convention of a thriller, male dominance over women. The credits used at the bottom show who was involved in the production of the film to see which institutions took part in the making of it, which is to further entice audiences to see Panic Room based on stars of the film industry.

Gothika, the horror thriller is illustrated above, it features lead actor 'Halle Berry' who is also obviously the centre point and focus of the film poster. The glared look of her eyes gives the audience a sense of unknowing and fright that is associated with the film's content. Her arms show her scars which read ‘Not Alone’, the audience can see that there are elements of horror associated with her which outline the film's similarities with the horror/thriller genre. The fact that Berry is in a close up shot where she is most visible it contributes to her star image and one of the main features that will popularize the film. The title of the film is printed in a disorientated way as if someone has scratched it on, making a connection with the writing on her arm. The use of the colour blue can indicate depression and sadness through the poster, it portrays that she may be alone and cold giving the viewer the impression she is lost however the writing on her arm says different. The rain creates a pathetic fallacy aswell that the mood of the film is matching the the mood, which further relates to the conventions of a genre.


The noir-thriller, 'Black Dahlia' conveys the most different thriller conventions looked at so far. The poster's themes are gothic and eerie, because the only image on show is of the woman. This is reinforced through the woman’s appearance being cold and ghost like, the dark red lipstick shows there can be a sense danger within the film. It also looks like blood is pouring out of her mouth, which connotes a sense of murder in the film. Her position of lying on her back gives the impression that she is dead, however her eyes are still open so it shows she may be conscious but is trouble d and stunned by something. The black background suggests that she is alone and can be further associated with death. The white writing at the top shows the main characters involved, including A-list starts such as Scarlett Johansson. The title is in simple text however it fits in well with the rest of the poster as it is not too busy and is simple yet effective.